This public/private, urban/rural solution was built through a collaboration of the City of Wichita Stormwater Advisory Board, Wichita City Council, Kansas State University, and Kansas Department of Health and Environment to create a partnership of private developers, farmers, and government regulators. Through this partnership, developers can avoid expensive upfront and lifecycle costs of hydrodynamic separators and other onsite solutions by opting to pay a $19 per-acre fee. These fees then go toward incentivizing and educating local farmers in the watershed to convert their acreage to no-till, significantly reducing the sediment that enters our rivers and streams.

Offsite BMP is a holistic approach to improving our stream systems by keeping sediment out of our river and lowering costs/improving efficiency of erosion control in the watershed. Through this program, the offsite sediment load has been reduced by an estimated 2,672 tons. For a fraction of the cost to developers, post-construction water quality is improved by removing over two-times the required amount sediment of other practices.

Born out of a desire to find cost-effective solutions that benefit both urban and rural neighbors in our watershed, this program is revolutionizing the approach to water quality management. This model is good for the environment, good for business, and reduces costs of economic development.

Gentry Thiesen, Government Affairs Director